Jackpot AU
by Grey-EyedGirl
Summary: The episode Jackpot with a twist. Yes my title is very creative. What if Catherine decided to go to Jackpot to help Grissom with the case, and everyone there believes she is his wife... R&R please! :D COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

**I realize that the episode I am using in this story was from the very early seasons of CSI, but I just recently watched this episode and the idea hit me, so I had to write it. If you haven't seen the episode "Jackpot" (from season 4) this story might be a bit confusing. I'll mention aspects of the case throughout, but that's not the story's main focus, so some parts may be unclear for those who haven't seen it. So, sorry in advance if you get a little lost. **

**This is an AU version of Jackpot so a few (not many, but a few) parts are directly from the episode, while the rest is completely different. **

**Now the beginning is a little bit long and may be slow but pur-lease bear with me, because I think the set up is necessary for the story and what not. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, if I did the**_** only**_** thing GSR would mean is gun shot residue. (sorry GSR fans!) ;)**

"_I owe you one?" Oh yeah, he owes me big time! _Catherine thought as she plopped herself down in front of Grissom's desk. She had just gotten off the phone with him and was now immediately regretting her agreement to take on his case reviews. She knew that she would just be sitting around waiting for Grissom to give her more information before she could do anything else productive, so working on the intimidating stack before her appeared to be the only thing she could do at the moment, no matter how much she didn't want to. "Is there anything I won't do for this man?" She asked herself bitterly as she pulled a scattered file towards her.

She hadn't been working for more than forty-five minutes when Warrick came into the office. "Hey Cath, I've been looking all over for you," he said, walking in and taking a seat in an unoccupied chair.

Catherine looked up at him and gave him a little half smile, "Sorry, Grissom stuck me with his casework." Warrick leaned back; his hands clasped in front of him, and studied Catherine in amusement. She was always picking up the slack for Gris, and he was always confiding in her. Why they couldn't just wake up and see the attraction was beyond him. "You need something, or are you just going to stare at me for a few more minutes?" Catherine asked with an amused smile as she placed a file on top of the considerably smaller stack.

"Sorry, yeah," he said, slightly embarrassed, "The Lieutenant from Jackpot, Alan Brooks, called to complain about our investigation." Catherine raised an eyebrow at this, but kept quiet so Warrick could continue. "Apparently we are causing, not only a disturbance in the town, but also taking up too many of his officers."

Catherine's brow furrowed, "God, he must be making it hell for Grissom."

"Hey, don't worry, Gris can handle himself," Warrick said reassuringly, "Do you need a hand with these files?" Catherine seemed to be lost in thought and Warrick was about to ask again when a sudden flash of determination illuminated her eyes and she looked up to meet his gaze.

"No thanks… but you could help me with something else." He was almost afraid to ask.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Well, Gil's gonna need all the help he can get out there, and I know enough about the case to where I could handle it. But I'd need you to take over for me here." She looked so unwavering that Warrick probably couldn't have said no even if he wanted to.

"No problem, I'll ask Nick and Sara to help out too."

"Well then," Catherine said standing up, "I guess I'm off to Jackpot."

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Grissom watched as the Deputy of Jackpot drove off, with the body in the back seat. Lieutenant Brooks was walking away with that strut of his and Grissom almost smiled thinking to himself, _this man is going to give me hell._

"Man," said Dr. Sterling as they both stood there watching the truck, "that was a hell of a day." He looked over at Grissom, "You need a place to sleep?" Grissom thought for a moment, what he wanted was a place to work, but he knew hotel rooms had tables.

"Yeah, where's your nearest hotel?" As soon as he asked Grissom realized this small town may not even have one. Dr. Sterling pulled out his phone.

"I'll call Pete, the hotel owner, he'll get you set up with a room." Grissom thanked him and waited patiently on the curb while Dr. Sterling set up his room.

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Catherine pulled up into a parking spot outside of one of, what seemed like, five buildings in the town and got out. Before she even had a chance to begin wondering how she was going to go about tracking down Grissom she spied what she guessed was the infamous Lieutenant Brooks. Catherine changed her course and headed in his direction. He caught sight of her and stopped walking, looking at her expectantly.

"Hi," she called as she came up to meet him on the sidewalk. "I'm looking for Gil Grissom." He looked at her suspiciously so she continued, not wanting him to make up any excuses, "I just spoke to him a few hours ago, so I know he's here." Suddenly the Lieutenant's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ah, you must be Catherine," he said. She lowered her eyebrows curiously but smiled and nodded in response. "Well, he's just down the street actually, I just spoke with him. I can take you over there."

"Okay, thanks," she said, slightly suspicious, but followed him anyway.

Grissom had just finished up his conversation with the vet, who was about to point him in the direction of his hotel when he saw Catherine walking towards him, with the Lieutenant. His first thought was fear that Catherine would find out he had been pretending she was his wife, but he quickly brushed that away, thinking the Lieutenant was not that sharp.

"Hey Cath, what brings you here?" He asked as she approached. She smiled; happy he didn't seem too angry she had decided to tag along.

"Well, I couldn't leave you out here all by yourself now could I?" She said jokingly. Grissom, to her amazement smiled back, not at all perturbed by her forwardness of coming to the scene without being asked. Truth be told he was happy to have a friendly face in the hostile town, and an extra pair of hands would take off an immense amount of pressure. The Lieutenant drug Grissom from these thoughts when he cleared his throat.

"Well, it's getting dark, and I know you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. Perhaps you and your wife should head to your hotel," Lieutenant Brooks said impatiently. Catherine's mouth dropped open slightly and she shot a baffled look at Grissom. Not wanting to cause a scene and have the Lieutenant think even worse of him than he already did, Grissom did not correct him.

"You're absolutely right, we should," Grissom took the bewildered Catherine gently by the arm. "Come along dear," he said and began leading her towards the hotel. Catherine, though confused and now burning for answers, managed to hold back her questions until they were out of earshot.

"What the hell was that all about?" She whispered to him. While, although she wouldn't let herself admit it, the thought of being confused for Gil's wife was not a terrible thing, she was highly confused as to why. Grissom was still trying to think of how he would explain himself, so he decided to buy some time.

"I'll explain when we get to the hotel room," he said as they entered the tiny hotel.

"We won't be sharing a room right?" Catherine asked, worried, "I mean, this isn't exactly the Hilton, I'm sure they have more rooms available."

"That would be suspicious since the Lieutenant thinks we are married," Grissom was regretting his little joke more and more.

"And you didn't correct him because…?"

"Catherine, please, later," he whispered as the hotel owner approached.

"You must be Mr. Grissom;" Peter the hotel owner said cheerily, "Dr. Sterling called and informed me of your arrival." He looked at Catherine curiously, "And who is this lovely lady?"

Catherine looked amusedly at Grissom and said, "Darling, would you like to introduce me?"

"This is my wife," Grissom said, the act of saying his lie out loud causing him to blush.

"Ah, what a lovely couple," said Peter, although it was half-heartedly, for he seemed slightly put-out that Catherine was taken. "You will be in room three, first door on you left down the hall," he said while handing Grissom the key. They said their thanks and made their way to their room. Immediately after they had entered and the door was closed Catherine advanced on Grissom.

"You had better start explaining Gil."

"Well," Grissom paused, for he had been thinking of a way to justify his actions since the Lieutenant had first called Catherine his wife, and he could only come up with: "I had just gotten off the phone with you and Lieutenant Brooks asked me if I was having 'trouble with the wife', I didn't want to tell him that I was running all these background checks and such back home so I just decided not to correct him and let him think that that was whom I was communicating with. Had I known you were going to come I most certainly wouldn't have said that." Grissom waited, hoping she would accept his story and, to his relief, she merely shrugged and set down her bag smiling that mischievous Catherine Willows smile once more.

"And here I thought you really cared." He chuckled in response and then he too set down his equipment. "So," she continued gazing at him intently, "Do you have anything new?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Grissom said, extracting the wadded up piece of paper he had found in the victim's pocket. He went to work unfolding it, Catherine watching over his shoulder, and then, once it had been done, they faxed a copy of it over to Warrick.

"Well, I'm glad I've been such a big help so far," Catherine joke as she stifled a yawn. Her yawn did not go unnoticed by Grissom and, yawns being contagious, he found himself doing the same.

"We can get to work on further investigation when it gets light out, but for now I think we should get some rest," he said. Catherine nodded in agreement, but then bit her bottom lip as she surveyed the room.

"There's only one bed," she observed, "and no couch."

"That's fine, I'll take the chair," Grissom said, although a night sleeping in a tiny armchair did not seem favorable.

"I can't make you sleep in a chair," Catherine said feeling guilty for taking the only available bed.

"But you aren't making me, I am sleeping there of my own accord," Grissom was not apposed to the idea of sleeping in the same bed with Catherine at all, in fact it was this fact that made him worried of what he may do if presented with that predicament.

"Gil, we are both adults and friends, sharing a bed is not a big deal," Catherine said, even thought to her it was an incredibly big deal, "If we each just stick to our own side of the bed it shouldn't be a problem." Her logic, his exhaustion, and the uncomfortable look of the chair won him over and he agreed.

Grissom took his turn getting ready for bed in the little half-bath first. He emerged in a flannel pyjama set and Catherine was glad that she too had packed appropriate sleeping attire. By the time she had finished getting ready Grissom had already claimed the left side of the bed and was turned on his side, facing the wall, apparently asleep. Catherine smiled at this, happy the awkward moment of getting into bed with Grissom would be passed somewhat.

Catherine slowly slipped under the covers on the other side, careful not to disturb her bed partner. She mirrored his sleeping position, her back turned to him and facing the door, putting as much distance between them as possible. She usually slept on her right side, but decided that facing Grissom would just make it even more difficult to fall asleep. Although there was probably a body length between them Catherine could feel the heat from his body, and it was almost driving her wild.

As often as she tried to deny it, or claim to herself it was just a result of her loneliness, Catherine knew deep down she had begun to fall for Grissom. When they had first met she had felt that sort of attraction to him, but had quickly dismissed it as impossible, as he was her supervisor and that sort of relationship would be inappropriate. But they had still grown close over the years. She considered him her best friend, and she was sure he did the same. In truth they were as close as two people could get without being lovers. And that would not be such a bad transition… Catherine quickly tried to push this thought from her mind, but Grissom's presence, so close to her, was making that quite impossible. She sighed and, although it went against her better judgement, rolled over, not able to stand lying on that side another minute.

Catherine dared to open her eyes slowly and saw that Grissom was still in the same position, facing away from her. She closed her eyes again, willing with all her might to let sleep come to her, since she was exhausted, but her mind kept travelling to her sleeping companion.

What Catherine did not know was that Grissom was also still awake, staring at the wall across from him, the exact same thoughts swirling through his mind…

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Catherine slowly felt herself leaving the hazy stages of sleep, but she tried to hang onto it. She had been having a wonderful dream, her sub-conscious taking all her suppressed feelings towards Grissom and creating a dream that would have made the conscious Catherine blush quite a bit. But the dream had begun to reach its end, and it was almost as though Catherine could feel Grissom's arms around her. She smiled and tried to cling to the dream as her mind became clearer and clearer. But, to her surprise, the feeling of Grissom's embrace remained. Her eyes shot open and she looked down and saw that someone's arms were indeed wrapped around her stomach. Grissom must have rolled over in the middle of the night, and she must have scooted closer... While the feeling of his body pressed against hers and his arm encircling her waist was anything but terrible, it was the fear of awkwardness when he woke up that was making Catherine feel apprehensive about the situation. As she tried to slowly slip out from under his arm, her movement caused him to stir, and she froze. He merely sighed and pulled her closer, causing her heart to flutter. _Ok,_ Catherine thought, _maybe just waiting until he wakes up is a good plan._ And she closed her eyes again, daring to snuggle a little closer, and smiled as she drifted off to sleep once more.

As Catherine began drifting off Grissom began to come to. The realization that he was holding Catherine Willows flush against him was quite surprising, but not in a terrible way… He tried to search for signs that she was awake, but her breathing was slow and even. Grissom's mind was spinning, his analytical and emotional sides arguing. The dominating logical side was telling him to take his arm off of her and get up, avoiding embarrassment and going back to keeping her, and his emotions, at arms length. But there was another side, one that rarely showed itself, the emotional, that was yearning to pull her closer. His internal debate was stirring up other emotions inside of him, ones he always tried to ignore, but were starting to surface more and more lately. His feelings towards Catherine had always been deep, deeper than he cared her to know, or even himself. As of late, however, suppressing his feelings was proving to be almost impossible.

It was at this moment that Catherine sighed quietly in her sleep and tucked her head closer to his body. The feeling of her hair brushing against his neck, and the weight of her head, now tucked under his chin, caused his mind to go blissfully silent for a moment, allowing impulse to take him over. He pulled his head back slightly then lowered his lips to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, before resting his chin on it once more. He allowed himself a few more minutes of just lying there with her, before his Grissom state of mind returned and he slowly took back his arm and got up out of bed, heading to the bathroom to take a shower and clear his head.

The sound of running water caused Catherine to wake up once more, although the absence of Grissom's presence made her heart sink slightly. She opened her eyes, and rolled over, looking at the rumpled bedding next to her and allowed a smile to grace her face. Although she knew she would deny it to herself later, she had just had the best night of sleep she had had in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Catherine and Grissom were now in their car, driving down a dirt road, trying to find the victims car. After speaking briefly with Lieutenant Brooks and using a man, they determined the road that the vic would have been using to leave town, and deduced that the killer would have had to intercepted him on that road.

They drove down the deserted road in silence, both reflecting on the morning and all that had happened. Catherine's thoughts centred around what Gil's were. Since he had been the first one out of bed he must have woken up with her in his arms. She smiled at the memory of how it had felt, waking up in his arms. Her smile, as she gazed out the window, her head propped up by her hand, her elbow using the window as a support, did not go unnoticed by Grissom. It caused him to ponder what he had been wondering all morning. Had she known? Was she really awake? If she was, what did she think of his kiss? The impulse, which had seemed perfect at the time, was only causing him distress now, and helped to remind him why he didn't do things of that nature.

As both were burning for answers, only one was confident enough to try and seek them. "So, how'd you sleep last night?" Catherine asked, making sure to keep her tone light and conversational. "Better than an old armchair right?" Grissom kept his eyes fixed on the road, as if hoping a prompter may appear before him and guide him on what to say.

"It certainly was better than an armchair," he responded. _Not to mention it was probably the best night of sleep I've had in years, _he thought to himself. Catherine sighed and returned her gaze to the window. Grissom sensed her disappointment and felt a pang for causing her that emotion. Her question was not a random one as far as small talk went, but Catherine had never been one for small talk, making her inquiry a bid odd. It definitely caused a red flag to go off in his brain, and he felt a jolt as he realized she must have known. She had to have been awake as well. Grissom was now having an internal panic attack. He decided to turn the tables on her to see what she thought.

"How did _you_ sleep Catherine?" His question only mildly startled her and she pondered it for a moment, deciding to go with the truth.

"Honestly, I can't remember when I've slept so soundly." This caused Grissom to smile and Catherine too smiled in relief. Unfortunately no more was said on the matter for Grissom's smile suddenly diminished and he stopped the car, putting it in reverse and squinting at a spot on the side of the road.

As they came level with it Catherine realized it was tire tracks leading off into the woods. "It seems we've found our tracks," Grissom said, his eyes fixed on the spot as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door.

"Yeah," Catherine replied, and she too began to get out of the car.

Grissom held up a hand, "No, wait here with the equipment; we don't know what could be out there." Catherine merely snorted in response and continued to get out of the car.

"I'm a big girl Gil, I can handle it," she said her voice taking on a sarcastic tone. Grissom knew that his sudden protectiveness was slightly paranoid, for this was not unlike any other scene they visited daily. But there was something overly hostile about the town and its inhabitants that made him wary.

"It's not that Cath," he lied, trying to keep a soothing vibe in his voice, "I don't want to leave our only supplies unattended."

"What is this," Catherine asked exasperatedly, "Children of the Corn? Do you honestly think someone would follow us all the way out here just to steal a few tools?" To her surprise he actually chuckled.

"You never know… please Cath?" He sounded so pathetic she almost felt like chuckling too.

She rolled her eyes and nodded, "But I'm not waiting in the car, it's too hot." She paused and raised an eyebrow at him, "Unless it's too unsafe," she added sarcastically.

"Okay," Grissom said as he grabbed his camera and locked the car, "just watch your back 'outlander,'" he continued with a smirk, knowing the movie had scared Catherine when they first watched it.

"Very funny Gil," she replied, her eyes narrowed, but a smile played at her lips. Catherine watched him as he walked away, pulling her glasses down out of her hair to shield her eyes from the hot sun. She sighed and leaned against the hood of the car, wishing she could be where the action was. Little did she know, the action was travelling down the road, in her direction…

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Grissom had just began inspecting the barn he had found, a little ways past where they had found the body the day before. When he opened the doors there was the car in all its glory. Grissom smiled, knowing that he didn't need a warrant for this, since the barn had been broken into. Oh no, Alan Brooks was not going to like this at all… Just as he was about to look at the car more closely he heard his car alarm blaring in the distance. Catherine could have bumped the car accidentally, but his stomach plummeted at the sound, fearing something seriously bad had happened. He raced out of the barn and practically sprinted towards the sound. As he rounded the corner his gaze was drawn towards the car, the window in the passenger side broken into, and then it dropped to the body slumped on the ground. Catherine's body. He rushed to her side, taking her upper body in his arms.

"Cath…? Cath…?" He pleaded with her. His heart started beating once more as he saw her eyes begin to flutter open, then squinted shut in pain. She reached a hand up to rub the back of her head. "Are you alright?" Grissom asked her tenderly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"It's safer to wait by the car huh?" She managed to say, her eyes opening once more to look up at him, only to realize he was rather close, and holding her once more. She could get used to waking up this way. Grissom too seemed to realize this as well, for he pulled his arms back, still supporting her, but at a safer distance.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I was waiting by the car when I heard a car pulling up next to yours, I turned around to see who it was and got hit in the head from behind." She looked over at the car and her eyes narrowed. "They stole the kit didn't they?"

"To hell with the kit Cath, you need a doctor," Grissom said worried.

"No I don't. I'm fine Gil, really," and to prove her point she began to stand, Grissom along with her, which was a good thing too, because as soon as she was upright she swayed violently to the left and Grissom caught her in his arms. They both paused, as if time decided to stand still at that moment, preserving for both the rush of emotion and attraction at their closeness. Catherine lifted her head and met Grissom's eyes, surprised when he held her gaze just as intently. After what seemed like an eternity and seconds at the same time, Grissom cleared his throat and straightened her up.

"I'll help you to the car," he said as he slipped her arm around his shoulder. Not another word was spoken as he helped her into the car, and then began to drive. Both were reflecting on their emotions and wondering why, all of a sudden, they were letting it get the better of them. It wasn't until they were halfway back that Grissom spoke again.

"If I remember correctly there is a general store just a few blocks down from the hotel, we can get replacement supplies there, since our kit is now gone." He said this keeping his eyes firmly on the road, but then plucked up enough courage to look at her. "But first we are taking you to a hospital."

"No! Gil, I am perfectly fine, just a little dizzy. I don't want to make a big deal out of this," she said with so much conviction Grissom knew that he was fighting a losing battle. "In fact," she continued as she crossed her arms defiantly, "I refuse." Her serious face and demeanour, mixed with the tension from their earlier encounter caused him to start chuckling. She blinked and looked at him as if he had just kissed Greg. He just continued to laugh harder and Catherine pursed her lips, determined to stand her ground, but his laughter was just too damn contagious, and she soon found herself laughing as well. By the time they reached the hotel both were feeling much more at ease.

They entered their hotel room once more, after stopping to ask Peter when the nearest department store opened (two hours.) Right as the door closed Grissom turned his attention to Catherine, sobered once again by concern.

"Let's check out that bump now," he said, and then continued as she started to protest. "It's either me or the hospital." She rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement, not wanting to start another argument, and sad down on the bed. Grissom extracted his flashlight from his pocket and sad down next to her. He clicked it on and first looked into her eyes.

"Your eyes don't appear to be dilated, which helps to rule out a concussion…"

"I told you I was fine," Catherine said, and began to sit up. Grissom grabbed her shoulder lightly and held her back.

"Cath," he scolded, "let me look at your head." While being treated like a child did not make Catherine happy, the feeling of Grissom's hand engulfing her shoulder was another story…

Using one hand to hold the flashlight (now positioned at her bump), the other fluttered up to caress her wound gently as he inspected it. Catherine was sure that her lungs had closed up, for her breath had hitched in her throat at his contact and she dared to look into his eyes. At first he didn't seem to notice, his attention taken by the purpling mound on her forehead. But he finally felt her eyes upon him, because he looked up suddenly, startled not only to see her staring at him, but also the look in her eyes. What he saw was all of his suppressed feelings over the past 15 years, feelings of attraction, longing, and even love reflected back at him. His hand stalled at her forehead and he paused for only a moment before softly trailing his finger tips down her face until the rested on her jaw line.

Whoever leaned in first was a mystery for they both met each other in the middle, lips crashing together as years of harmless flirtation and desire exploded through their contact. The consequence of such an action was pushed from their minds as Catherine snaked her hands up his arms, coming to rest around his neck, and she began to pull him back on the bed, his hands going to her hips as he complied. As the kiss became progressively more and more heated Catherine brought her hands to the top button of his shirt as his began to roam under hers.

A swift knock at the door halted their actions, and Peter's voice calling in from outside broke whatever spell had possessed them. Grissom shot out of the bed immediately, pointedly not looking at Catherine, but waited until she had straightened herself up before opening the door.

"Sorry for the interruption Mr. and Mrs. Grissom," Peter said, smirking a little as his eyes fell on their dishevelled state. "I just wanted to let you know that I got the times mixed up, the general store has been open for about an hour now."

"Thank you, we'll head over right now," Grissom said, and then closed the door, not waiting for Peter to respond. He turned towards Catherine, who was still sitting on the bed, almost as if she was afraid to move, afraid to shatter the magic of what had just happened, or perhaps just afraid of what was running through his mind at that moment. They both waited in silence for a few moments before Grissom spoke, just as Catherine had opened her mouth to say something as well.

"I suppose we should head out to the store," he said, walking over to the table and grabbing his coat. Catherine quickly closed her mouth, disappointed, for she had wanted to talk about what had just happened, but she knew that Grissom was a man who needed to process things, so she nodded standing up as well. She would give him time, she thought as they made their way to the store, but he better hurry up…

**A/N: I realise that this has been rather fluffy, but there is angst to come… mwahahaha! :D Every time you review PureJoy love is spread throughout the world!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the delayed posting of this chapter, but I just kept getting stuck when it came to the actual events of the episode. In the end I decided to breeze over basically all of the aspects of the case, since that's already in the episode, but you'll get the gist of it.**

**Thank you so much for all the kind reviews, it seriously made me so happy to see that I got so many!**

**Oh, and just a warning, Catherine drops the F-bomb towards the end of this chapter. Sorry if that offends anyone, but she seems like the type of person who would use it in times of duress. Just preparing the weaker hearts out there. :)**

As they crossed the street to the general store, in silence of course, they saw Lieutenant Brooks pulling into a parking spot just outside of their destination. Catherine immediately looked over at Grissom to see how he would react upon seeing him, since they both knew it had been he who attacked her and stole their supplies. He responded just as she knew he would, his jaw and fists tightened and his pace quickened. While Catherine would have liked nothing more then to personally kick Allan Brooks' ass, she knew that she had to keep herself in check in order to keep Gil in check. The last thing they needed was another reason to be on this man's black list. She reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Hold it Gil; I know what you're thinking. _Believe _me I know what you're thinking." He stopped walking at looked at her, anger still blazing in his eyes. "But confronting him is not going to solve anything right now." For a few moments she thought he hadn't heard her, but then he sighed and nodded grudgingly, although his fists remained clenched. As they walked past his car, Grissom couldn't help but say something.

"Oh good the police," he said, his voice only sounding slightly strained as they passed his car, "I'd like to report a crime." Alan Brooks however, remained in his car, his arm hanging out the open window, seeming un-phased.

"No kiddin,'" was all they got in response. _No kiddin' my ass, _Catherine thought her lips pursing. Unlike her, Grissom was able to keep his cool, much to her relief.

"Yeah, my vehicle was broken into, my field kit was stolen, and my wife was attacked." Catherine noticed how the word "wife" had rolled off his tongue, as if it was the most natural thing in the word. As she pondered this she found her anger with Allan Brooks had quite evaporated. By now Lieutenant Brooks had gotten out of his car.

"Gonna cramp your style?" He asked, sounding a little too hopeful.

Grissom smirked, "Not necessarily." They entered the store, and got the supples they needed to improvise what had been taken; batteries, reusable storage bags, mechanical pencil lead, index cards, and scotch tape. As they paid for their purchases Catherine couldn't help but notice how the girl at the register was looking at Grissom. He, of course, was oblivious, not noticing how his automatic "thank you" lit up her eyes and smile. The feelings of jealousy that Catherine felt engulfing her were slightly surprising and sudden; she even shot the young girl a glare as they walked out. This Grissom noticed.

"What was that about?" He asked with a small smile. His question startled her, not only because she was embarrassed to have gotten caught, but also because it was the first thing he had said to her since they left the hotel. Since they had kissed… Oh what a kiss that had been… "Cath?" He said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh… it was nothin'… just a woman thing." That shut him up, and Catherine felt relieved and disappointed. As they got into the car, she braced herself for awkward silences. And awkward silences there were. They drove back to the barn, both not saying a word, but they dared to steal occasional glances.

What seemed like an eternity later they reached the old barn, and hopped out of the car, new supplies in hand. "I'll work on lifting this shoe print, you dust the car for prints," he ordered as they entered. Catherine nodded and started her job, in silence once more. About an hour into their work Catherine couldn't take it any longer. She set down her makeshift finger print powder, made from the crushed up pencil lead, and straightened up, looking over at Grissom, who was bent down over his mould. She loved it when he was concentrating; the way his brow furrowed and you could tell all his thoughts were centred on the case, and that moment, unlike hers which tended to stray. She hadn't realised she had been staring for so long, until he felt her eyes on him and turned his head to look at her. They both seemed startled as they made eye contact, but recovered quickly. "Can I help you with something Catherine?" He asked, and she found herself smiling at his playful tone. Her smile faded quickly though and she bit her lip, slightly apprehensive at continuing, but knowing they needed to talk.

"Gil… about earlier…" she stopped, waiting to take in his reaction. He broke their gaze, and looked back at his work. Even before he spoke she could tell that he had shut down, his walls going up.

"Catherine, we need to focus on the investigation. This case is our priority right now." Catherine was glad he had turned his back, because she couldn't help the hurt expression that crossed her face.

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After processing all the evidence, and then consulting with Warrick and a few people around town, they finally had a name. Leland Brooks. Catherine couldn't say she was surprised, it certainly explained Lieutenant Brooks' behaviour. Asking Brooks to take them to Leland had certainly been an experience, and after defensive opposition from the Lieutenant, he agreed to take them to his brother, but only if he could talk to him first.

Catherine and Grissom followed Brooks in their car, now accustomed to the silence that had followed them the whole day. Catherine didn't dare bring up the subject again, even though the thought that Gil would never want to talk about it was eating her up inside. The more she thought about it the more she hoped that the kiss had been more than a spontaneous act on his part. Remembering how his lips had felt against hers, and the way she felt so secure with his arms around her, his hands in her hair… She shivered despite the heat, and glanced over at her companion. What was going through his mind? Did he regret what they had done? She suddenly felt her stomach plummet as she wondered if he believed it had all been a horrible mistake. Her thoughts were put on hold as they reached the house. The trio walked up to the house together, but Alan Brooks put his hand up as they reached the door, and motioned for Catherine and Grissom to go around the side of the house. They complied and walked around, Grissom standing with his hands in his pockets and Catherine leaning against the porch railing. The sudden sound of voices startled them slightly, but then they realized it was coming from the window directly in front of Catherine. She could see the vague outlines of Alan Brooks and his brother through the curtains.

As they waited Catherine felt her curiosity towards Grissom's thoughts building and building. His silence the whole day had been, at first annoying, then upsetting, and now it was bubbling into anger. From the sound of the two inside it seemed that the brother's conversation would be taking a while and Catherine was tired of beating around the issue.

"Gil, would you just say something?!" Her outburst was sudden and loud, actually causing him to jump.

"Wh-what?" He asked, looking confused and a little worried. Catherine threw her hands up exasperatedly.

"We kissed. _Kissed_. You," she gestured with her hands, "and I. Can't you lift your head out of that stupid ass microscope and _say something_?" She waited expectantly, and Grissom looked out towards the mountains, contemplating his words. Finally, after a minute that, to Catherine, felt like an hour, he spoke.

"The… kiss… it was- well, it shouldn't have- we shouldn't have," he seemed to be having trouble forming the words, but Catherine's sinking heart was able to piece them together.

"…You think it was a mistake," she said, her voice, full of emotion, betrayed the hard mask she wore. His response to that she would unfortunately never know, because it was at that moment that a loud bang sounded, followed by a bullet that broke through the window, missing Catherine by inches. Grissom immediately grabbed her and pulled her to the ground, his body covering hers protectively. She didn't know if it was the shock of having almost been shot, but she found herself thinking, not of the bullet that had been whizzing past her head moments before, but of how she had to nearly be killed to get Grissom to hold her. The thought would have made her laugh if it hadn't been for the feeling of his arms around her once more.

"It's alright," they heard Alan call from inside the house. Grissom remained where he was.

"Are you hurt?" He asked Catherine, his eyes taking on the same tenderness she had come to love.

"No," she breathed, "I'm fine." They just looked at each other, neither one wanting to move. _He's so close_, she thought, _if I just leaned up a little more…_

"You two alright out there?" Alan asked, breaking the spell. Grissom stood up, offering a hand to Catherine to help her up.

"Yes, now would you mind telling me what that was about?" Grissom asked, angry with the Lieutenant once more. Apparently Leland Brooks had been trying to commit suicide, and Alan had pushed the gun away, sending it unintentionally in Catherine's direction. After getting assurance that Alan would take care of the situation Grissom announced that he and Catherine were going to call it a night.

"God, this has been one hell of a night," Catherine said as she fastened her seatbelt. Grissom merely revved up the car and began driving away. It wasn't until they were almost back to the hotel that she decided to strike up a conversation again. "So, are we going to question Leland tomorrow?" Grissom sighed, his body language conveying his reluctance to say what he was thinking.

"Cath, I think it's best that you go home tonight. I can handle the investigation from here." He didn't look at her, and kept his eyes fixed on the road. She was silent at this response, but only for a moment.

"This isn't about the investigation is it?" She asked, anger and a tinge of hurt laced her voice.

"You were attacked this morning, tonight you almost got shot, my god Catherine, what's next?"

"Don't pretend like you care about me!" Catherine snapped, all her anger and hurt from their previous conversation coming back in full swing.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, honestly shocked.

"You just want me gone so you can go back to your bugs and your crossword puzzles, go back to hiding under a rock, just letting everyone else around you experience things that you're too afraid of: feelings, emotion, physical contact with another person! The things that scare you so badly that you lock yourself up in your townhouse with just Hank for company, night after night." Her words had him stunned, but she wasn't done, continuing as they pulled into a parking space in front of the hotel. "You know what Gil? You can fucking have your townhouse and all the things in it that make you feel comfortable! I'm not going to bother you anymore." Her voice broke at the end and she yanked open the car door, slamming it behind her as she walked quickly and angrily to her car. Not turning around as Grissom called after her, and not looking back as she drove away from the town and all its inhabitants.

**A/N: One more chapter left! Reviews may make it come more quickly… :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the final chapter! Sorry for the slowish update, but writing Grissom's character for this chapter was really kicking my ass. He's a hard one to try and decipher. **

Grissom pulled into his parking space outside of the crime lab, feeling both relieved and apprehensive. After wrapping up the case he was left with nothing else to distract him on the long ride home from his situation with Catherine. As he drove their fight from the night before kept playing over and over in his mind. It had definitely upset him, one because he realised just how badly he had hurt Catherine, the Catherine who he usually protected and comforted from such hurt. The heartbreakingly sad look she had given him before storming out of his car made his stomach churn with regret every time it flashed in his memory. The other reason, Grissom realised, was that her words had hit home. Everything she had said was true.

Now as he just sat there, staring at her empty car next to his, he felt something that Gil Grissom hated to feel. Helpless. He always managed to keep away from issues dealing with emotions that… well, as Catherine had said, scared him. He could feel his thoughts tugging at each other, one side telling him to go in and act like nothing had happened, the other urging him to give in to his feelings. But what were his feelings? He cared for Catherine, God knows he did. She was always there for him, she rarely questioned his motives, and she never judged him. She also kept him grounded and argued with him constantly. He smiled at that. Her temper, while troublesome at times, was still one of the things he loved about her. He stopped his thoughts for a moment. Love? No, no, he didn't love her like that. As a friend, yes, she was his best friend, but he couldn't be in love with her. _What about calling her you wife?_ A little voice inside his head asked. _And how she felt when she was lying in your arms? When you kissed her? _

Suddenly he turned his car off, and got out, swiftly making his way towards the lab. He decided he was going to put to rest the internal battle his brain had been wrestling with for the past few hours. He would go and talk to Catherine. Grissom knew she would be angry, hell, probably even furious, when she saw him again, but he hoped she would just hear him out. Although what he was going to say, he didn't know. He didn't even know what he was feeling, all he knew was he had to see her, and start by apologizing.

Grissom walked in, and immediately headed to Catherine's office. He passed Hodges' lab and saw Nick and Warrick inside bent over a microscope, examining something. Grissom rounded the corner and reached her office. He knocked, but received no answer. Pushing the door open tentatively he called in, "Catherine?" He was met with silence, and then an empty office as the door swung open all the way. Her computer was turned on and her purse was perched on her tidy desk, so she had to be somewhere. He turned and headed towards the layout room, but no such luck. After scouring all possible places she could be, he was becoming worried.

His pace had quickened and he almost ran right into Sara as she rounded the corner, head bent down reading a memo.

"Sorry," he said, but he didn't look at her, instead past her. She looked up and took in his frantic state.

"Looking for something?" She asked, a tiny smirk forming at the corner of her mouth. He looked down at her as if just realising who it was.

"Have you seen Catherine?" He finally asked. Her smirk vanished and instead her lips puckered in a small thin line.

"Yeah, Miss Congeniality came storming in here about five hours ago and shut herself up in her office." She shifted feet and then continued. "And when I went in to try and figure out what was up she said, and I quote 'Get the hell out!'" Grissom sighed and Sara was surprised to see him look distressed instead of angry. "Just because she's more experienced doesn't mean she has the right to take her anger out on the team," Sara pressed, hoping for some sort of sign that Catherine would be reprimanded. When she got none her eyes narrowed in two severe lines. "You will talk to her about it right?" He finally picked up on her hint.

"She's had a… tough night. I promise I will talk to her, if I can find her," he said, and then left Sara standing there, fuming. His steps had slowed, and he decided to just wait in his office until she surfaced once more. It _would_ give him a chance to work out what he wanted to say, and what he was thinking…

As he approached his office and opened the door he was startled to see Catherine, arm splayed across his table with her head resting on a half-finished memo. He quietly set his jacket on the back of a chair and then approached the desk cautiously. Even though she had been so mad at him, she had still came back to do his work. Grissom hoped it was a good sign, a sign that maybe she wouldn't kill him before he got a chance to say what he needed to say. He could feel his mental tug-of-war leaning towards giving in, and, taking in her sleeping form before him, he knew that his resistance wouldn't last much longer.

Grissom knelt down next to her, bringing his hand up to wake her, but he froze. His urge was to run his fingers through her hair, but he hesitated, and then opted for her shoulder. He clasped it gently and murmured, "Cath…? Cath…? Wake up."

Her head suddenly popped up and she blinked in confusion for a moment, as if unsure of why she was in Grissom's office. All too soon however she remembered, and her hazy sleepy look was replaced with an angry one. "Sorry I didn't get your work done by the time you came back," she said, although her tone was anything but sincere. "Do you think you can manage from here or do you need me to hover for awhile and then you can just send me away when the spirit moves you?" Grissom sighed, surprising Catherine with a look of regret.

"Look Cath," he paused, unsure of how to continue. She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms expectantly. Grissom, however, remained silent. He opened and closed his mouth a number of times, but he was still fighting with himself. Catherine finally could take the silence no more, and stood up abruptly, heading towards the door, and then turning just as she was a few feet away from it.

"It's okay Gil, I get it," she said, and Grissom was pained to see hurt in her eyes once more. "You know, at Jackpot, I actually hoped…" she stopped and looked a little startled by what she had almost said. "Never mind," she muttered and turned around again. But Grissom found his voice once more.

"Wait." She stopped, but didn't turn around. "What did you hope?" He asked. His question had ignited her extinguished fire and she turned around, eyes blazing.

"I hoped that you had the same feelings for me as I had for you!" She shouted, all bets off, as she began to pour out all the feelings she had been hiding from him in their 20 years of friendship. "When I woke up in your arms it was the safest and most loved I've ever felt! And then the kiss… God damn it Gil, I've never felt that way kissing anyone before! Then you just ignored it, and I hoped like an idiot you would make up your mind and it would be in my favour!" She stopped to take a breath, and then waited to see what he would say, but he just stood there, shell shocked. This only angered her even more. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, turning around and walking to the door. "And to think I actually thought you might grow a pair and just-" Grissom cut her off by grabbing her arm before it reached the door knob, spinning her around, and pulling her against him, pressing his lips against hers. She didn't respond for a split second, his kiss taking her by complete surprise, but she found herself melting into it and meeting him with equal passion and intensity. She felt Grissom turn her around and begin walking her backwards, their lips never breaking contact, until the back of her thighs hit his desk. His hands went to her hips and he lifted her up onto it as she pulled him down with her. He pulled his lips away from hers suddenly and she was about to object when she felt him begin to trail kisses down her neck, unbuttoning her shirt as he went.

He didn't make it far however, because his office door suddenly opened and both Catherine and Grissom froze looking over to see Sara standing in the doorway looking like a deer in headlights.

"I, uh, guess you found her," she said finally, looking highly embarrassed, and turned to walk away.

"Could you close the door?" Catherine called, trying not to laugh at the disgusted look on Sara's face, but she couldn't help herself. Sara did quickly, not looking back, and the door gave a soft slam as she closed it quickly. Catherine turned back to Grissom, and took in his expression. She couldn't read any signs of regret on his face, but she suddenly became worried. He leaned down to continue what they had started, but she stopped him. "Gil, wait. If this isn't what you want, tell me now. I don't want this to be about you trying to flush away your guilt, or some sort of pity thing. I… I just, I don't want you to regret this later." She hadn't been looking in his eyes, rather at the floor, and she felt him cup her chin, lifting it up so that her eyes met his gaze.

"I don't think I've ever been more positive of anything Catherine," he said, sincerity ringing in his voice. She smiled in relief. "Well, except my love for Iago," he continued with a smile.

Catherine laughed, "Your tarantula?"

"Don't worry," he teased, "you're a close second." Catherine gave him a playful slap on the arm, but then brought her hand up to her back.

"As romantic as making out like a couple of teenagers on your desk is, it's starting to get uncomfortable." Grissom nodded and stood up, offering his hand to her to help her down.

"Perhaps we should take this somewhere more… comfortable?" He asked, and she grinned mischievously.

"I would love to."

**A/N: And that's it! ****Thanks for everyone who stuck by this story and reviewed, you guys are awesome! And sorry if it seemed a little Sara bashy, but I couldn't help myself… :)**

**Oh yeah, I realised as I was proofing this that Catherine didn't have an office at this point in the series, but oh well, it is an AU. And I have no idea if Grissom's spider has a name, but since he's a Shakespeare fanatic, I figured it worked. **


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